The Value of Authenticity
by Anna Meyer
In the summer of 2008, CareerBuilder reported that 49 percent of employers had caught a lie on a resume while reviewing a potential employee. When CareerBuilder conducted the survey again in August 2014, that percentage of detected lies had risen to 58 percent, with 33 percent of the surveyed employers reporting an increase in embellishments found within the resumes submitted for review after the recession that emerged in the late 2000s. Blame it on desperation or lack of judgment, but unfortunately, lying about oneself while applying for positions or constructing a personal brand online is creating a culture of mistrust in the professional world.
When creating a resume, or online resume on LinkedIn, you’re essentially constructing a personal brand. Often, when we think of the word brand, we think of a well-crafted advertisement campaign thought up by a team of marketers, or of the evolution of companies that try to fit in with the latest trends. But a personal brand is something unique that doesn’t concern larger industries being informed on what a certain demographic needs. Personal brands concern solely the individual, and individuals have to create it for themselves. Personal branding is how we are seen by others, how we see ourselves, and it is a way of representing our accomplishments. Strong personal brands speak with authenticity and let others know of the unique talents and skills that can be brought to the table. As Amy Larson, a Human Resource Leader at GoKart Labs (a digital agency specializing in digital strategy, marketing, and design), sees it, “I describe personal branding as how I would describe myself or how I want others to view and understand me. I want those two things to be the same.”
Without a firm grasp on oneself and a deep-rooted confidence, it can be an overwhelming task to project an attractive brand and find a fitting career. In an attempt to compensate for inexperience, or for other reasons people will use to justify their actions, job seekers will misrepresent themselves through lies or exaggerations online and on paper. There are even online services, such as CareerExcuse and Fake Resume that will create false references, transcripts, letters of recommendation and verification services. These shady services feed on the insecurities and desperation of job hunters, and facilitate dishonesty.
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